Love
by Katherine98-chan
Summary: A tragic short story about an innocent child who is shunned by society. Everyone needs love. No one can beat loneliness.


**Love**

It was a normal snowy day in the village in the North Blue.

Near the snowy playground, several children were playing with a ball. Further away, sitting alone by herself on the swing was a small 6-year old child. She had short messy red hair, red eyes, pale skin and black eye rings.

She was wearing a beige poncho-like shawl over a long-sleeved black T-shirt, a white obi (sash) around her waist, dark blue pants and black boots. She sat quietly watching the other children kick the ball around.

"Here!"  
"Pass it!"

"Oh crap!" A boy shouted, upset. The ball was kicked too hard and was stuck on top of a snowy ledge of a mountain. "What do we do? We can't climb that!" The children looked up as the ball was covered with a strange lilac snow and it slowly floated down. The ball hovered and landed in the girl's hands.

The other children panicked upon seeing her. "Karin... It's Nightmare Karin! Run for it!" And they all fled.

"Wait!"

_Don't leave me alone._

Karin stretched out her hand in hopes they would stop, lilac strings then shot forward and grabbed the closest child. The boy started yelling in pain and fear. "Ahh! Help!"

_I don't want to be alone anymore._

"Lady Karin! Please calm yourself down!" Karin heard the familiar voice and immediately stopped. Her lilac strings disintegrated and she looked around her. The children were on the floor groaning in pain with cuts all over. A man with black hair and red eyes stopped her.  
"James..." Karin said weakly, her eyelids were getting heavy. The last thing she saw was her uncle's face.

* * *

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in her bedroom. She walked towards the table. A picture of a woman with dark red hair and red eyes smiled back at Karin. Karin took a knife and held it above her wrist. She tried to cut herself, but lilac sand appeared against her will and protected her wrist . "It's no use. The lilac stuff gets in the way."

"Lady Karin..."

Karin turned her head at the sudden call of her name. James was there. "As a member of your medical team at the King's command, my duty is to protect you from any harm. Please do not try to do such a thing. Although the lilac strings and sand will protect you anyway. Your mother's manipulative ability used the snow again, didn't it. " He said in a slightly joking manner. He chuckled and scratched his head, showing the bandages on his arm. Karin's threads had grazed his arm while defending a boy from Karin's sand.

"James, I'm sorry." She looked down at the floor in shame, "Do injuries... hurt?"

James looked at his left arm. "Oh this? Well, a little... but it's nothing serious."

"Hey James..."

"Yes?"

"What is pain?" She had a painful and confused face.

"What exactly is pain? I've never been injured so I wonder what it's like." Karin asked.

James tapped his chin with a finger, wondering how to answer. "Hmm... How should I put it? Afflictive... or dreadful... Like when your beaten or cut. In short, your body's in an unbearable condition in which that you feel that you're unable to stay your usual self. I can't explain to very well but... I think I can say its unpleasant."

"James, then... do you... Hate me?" Karin said weakly, looking like a child who was about to be punished.

"In life there are times people hurt and get hurt by others... But it's not easy to dislike someone from such an experience."

Karin smiled. "Thank you, James. I think I know what pain is..."

"Is that so?"

"Does that mean I'm injured? Just like everyone else? Then I'm always in pain. Although it doesn't bleed, this part of me hurts so much." She said, gripping her heart.

"Bodies bleed upon physical injuries and they may look quite hurtful but eventually the pain will wear off as time passes, and they can heal faster with medical aids. What are the more serious are emotional scars, they are the hardest to heal." James explained.

"Emotional scars?" Karin asked, confused.

" Unlike physical scars, there's no ointment for emotional ones and the pain may never go away. There's only one thing that can stop heartache. However, as inconvenient as it may seem, this cure can only be given by people other than yourself..." James continued.

"What is it?" Karin asked.

"It's love! Love is care and devotion you feel for the precious ones around you." James said, throwing his hands up.

"Love? H-How can I receive that?"

"Lady Karin, you're already receiving it. Love is the care and devotion you feel for the precious ones around you." James turned his head to face the portrait of the woman with red hair. "Like the feeling Sister had for you. Her manipulative ability's automatic perfect defence is a proof of maternal affection. Your Mother's will remained in the Sand to protect you." James sighed at the portrait, "Sally... Even after death, you wanted to be there for Lady Karin."

"James, about today. Thank you... For stopping me."

"You're very welcome. After all, you're my precious one around me."

Karin smiled, showing her pearly whites. "Hey James, I have a favour to ask. Can I have some ointments?"

* * *

Karin carried the jar of ointment and made her way to the village, where the boy she had injured earlier in the day lived. She knocked on the door. The door opened a little and the boy glowered at Karin.

"I'm sorry about earlier... Please use this ointment."  
"Go away, you monster."

Karin was shocked but silently placed the ointment on the floor and walked away. While walking down the street, she accidentally bumped against a man.

"Watch it, brat!" The man realised too late. "You... You're..."  
Karin didn't like the way the man was looking at her. It felt like the glowering eyes of that boy.

_It's those eyes again. Why... Why?_

Lilac sand came out and enclosed the man. Blood exploded from inside the cocoon of sand. Karin continued walking away, trying to avoid all the stares she was was given.

Karin turned into sand and let the wind carry her up to the top of a building where she sat under the moonlight. It was cold sitting on the snow, even if it was a thin layer.

_It doesn't go well at all. How come only I am such a monster? What exactly am I?_

"James..." She said weakly, hoping for comfort.

Bullets were shot at Karin but lilac snow protected her.

"Huh?"

_What? Why? Why __**me**__? __**Only me!**_

The snow shot forward and engulfed her attacker. The attacker was lifted high up before he was slammed down on to the hard roof. The man was surely injured, probably with broken bones too. Karin felt scared but crept cautiously towards her attacker. She took off the mask and felt tears forming in her eyes.

"You've gotten stronger, Karin."

Her attacker was James.

* * *

"But why? Why you?" Tears kept flowing down her cheeks.

"It was an order... from the World Government... They said you were too dangerous to contain anymore... and wanted me to kill you." He said in between gasp for breath.

Karin pressed her hands on her head, tears still flowing. "Then... Then you had no choice. It was because of the World Government." Karin said, trying to console herself.

"No, you're mistaken. I could have declined the order if I'd wanted to. But I feel that deep down inside, I must have resented you... For coming into this world, stealing life away from my dear sister. I tried my best to love you by thinking of you as her memento... But I couldn't... She never wished to give birth to you. She was sacrificed for this village and therefore died cursing at it. You were never loved." James closed his eyes.

He turned into ashes before disappearing with the wind. Karin sat with the tears still flowing. She killed her uncle, the only one in the family who she thought didn't hate her. She didn't have siblings or friends to play with. She was always alone.

_**Love only yourself and fight only for your sake. I am alone. I will not believe anyone anymore. I will not love. I'm on my own. Yeah... I'm on my own.**_

* * *

—END—

Heh heh heh. Finally got this out of my mind. I got some inspiration(if u can call it that) from Gaara (Naruto). Brings back memories. Gaara is (still) one of my favourite anime characters. ^^


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